Towed vehicles are often supported by a frame attached to a towing vehicle, such as, trucks and sports utility vehicles. Jack assemblies have long been used with towed vehicles especially trailers for instance. Jack assemblies are typically attached to the towed vehicle and are utilized to stabilize the towed vehicle when detached from the towing vehicle. Most jack assemblies utilize a handle assembly and telescoping inner and outer tubes to facilitate vertical movement of the outer tube to raise and lower the jack assembly as desired. The handle assembly is used to turn a jack screw resulting in the vertical movement.
In light of the fact that the towed vehicles are often submerged in water, corrosion of the jack screw and inner and outer tubes is a common nuisance resulting in the inoperability of the jack assembly. Such corrosion issues often result from metal to metal contact between the inner and outer tubes and an inability to maintain proper lubrication on the jack screw among other reasons. It is well known that lubrication, such as grease, applied evenly to the jack screw during the manufacturing process, is migrated during use and accumulates adjacent a jack nut. This is particularly the case along the threads of the jack screw nearest the jack nut.
Such metal to metal contact can be further exacerbated when standard caster or foot assemblies are utilized. These assemblies perform well under ideal conditions where the support surface is generally horizontal and hard. In such an arrangement, vertical forces created by the weight of the towed vehicle and its load are directed down the inner tube and onto the foot/caster. On uneven or wet terrain, or when varying objects are encountered, however, these forces can be directed other than vertically along the inner tube. In such scenarios, at least the inner tube can come under significant pressure from non-vertical forces causing the metal to metal contact which can result in galling or even fracturing in worst case instances. In order to reduce the possibility of such scenarios, a foot capable of accommodating naturally uneven or damp terrain and uneven terrain caused by objects (e.g., small clods of dirt, rocks, etc.) is needed.
While jack assemblies that provide a height adjustment mechanism wherein a location of the mounting assembly along the outer tube may be changed are known, each of these has certain drawbacks. U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,605, for instance, discloses one such adjustable height jack assembly. While accommodating relocation of the mounting assembly as a height adjustment mechanism, the design of the jack assembly in this patent is deficient in that the outer tube could rotate within the mounting assembly under certain situations. In addition, the fasteners used to secure the brackets around the outer tube are positioned on an exterior surface of the mounting bracket adjacent a rotation path of a handle used in raising and lowering the jack assembly. Such placement can result in injury to the user while operating the handle or damage to or loosening of the fasteners through contact which could result in a prompt collapse of the towed vehicle. In order to avoid such scenarios, a mounting assembly having brackets which locate the fasteners along sides of the mounting bracket rather than an exterior surface is needed. Even more, a cover may be utilized to generally enclose the mounting assembly reducing exposure to the elements, such as rain, and providing an aesthetic overall appearance.